Brotherly Advice
by LockDown
Summary: Sometimes even being a genius doesn't mean you're prepared for everything in life. So Shikamaru has decided to scrap his pride and reach out to his brother-in-law for help on a very delicate issue. Inspired by lovesrainscent's Baby Boom, chapter 7.


This was an unusual situation. Before she left Temari had looked quizzingly at Shikamaru to see if this is what he wanted. He just nodded and Temari left the room wondering two things; what was freaking out Shika, and how did Kankuro tie into it.

The two men had never really gotten along. At best they tolerated each other out of a mutual fear of Temari. Still, all their interactions until now had always been by happenstance, random encounters that life threw their way. This was different though. Shika has asked Temari to set up a meeting between himself and the puppet wielder.

While the men sat in silence Kankuro took a look around. Temari definitely hadn't married beneath her class that was for sure. The Nara Clan was an old and respected clan, and like most other old and respected clans, had a lot of money. The living room in which they now sat could have held a small apartment. Kankuro doubt that the money meant anything to Temari though. He was still convinced that Temari had married the lazy bastard just to spite him and Gaara.

"Okay Nara, we've been here for 15 minutes and all I've done is drink a bottle of sake with you and watch you smoke a couple of cigarettes. What's the deal?"

Shikamaru took a long drag from his smoke while he fished around in his pocket. Once he found the object he was looking for, Shikamaru tossed it at Kankuro who caught it.

"What is it?" Kankuro ask.

"A pregnancy test." Shikamaru said flatly. Concealed underneath his makeup Kankuro paled. He had a hard enough time accepting the fact that they were married and honestly hoped they slept in different beds, on opposite sides of the house. Still, Kankuro was holding a pregnancy test in his hands that Shikamaru had which meant only one thing.

"What have you done to my sister?" Kankuro choked out. It was something between a roar of anger and a pathetic wheeze. He really wasn't old to be an uncle yet, was he?

"I haven't done a thing to her." Shikamaru replied flatly again. That statement both warmed and chilled Kankuro's blood. The brief moment of elation that this lazy lump hadn't done anything to his sister meant his innocent fantasy about their sleeping arrangements could live on, was instantly countered with a sick cold feeling in his gut. Shikamaru hadn't done anything. There was a pregnancy test that he had come into possession of. Kankuro looked at the plastic stick in his hands again. It was positive.

Had Temari cheated on Shikamaru? As much as Kankuro didn't like the guy, Shikamaru didn't deserve to have his wife sleep around. The thought of Temari being so disloyal made Kankuro queasy. It made sense though in a way. She was always way out of his league and why else would Shikamaru call for a meeting with Kankuro if not to find some quiet way to dissolve the marriage without scandal. Oh this was going to hurt Gaara's political career even if only by proxy. Damn, Nara was talking again.

"…so I wanted some advice."

Damn. Kankuro had been right in his inner panic. This was going to be so bad.

"Okay Nara. Here's what we do. First we get Gaara and your Hokage to quietly dissolve the marriage. Then we get Temari to have an abortion and then we find the bastard that seduced her away from you and string him up." Kankuro said in a rush.

Shikamaru stared at his brother in law with a look of pure shock on his face; eyes wide open with a cigarette hanging loosely from his bottom lip. "Kankuro, and I say this with all due respect, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Isn't Temari cheating on you and this pregnancy test the proof?"

"What? No! Weren't you listening to anything I was saying? I said that's my mother's pregnancy test, I'm going to be a brother and so I wanted some advice."

"Advice on how to be a brother."

"Yes."

"From me."

"You're the only person I know that's around my age who has been a brother. Look at all the people our age. All only children."

"Fine fine. Just answer one question for me."

"Why am I still holding your mother's peed on pregnancy test?"

A/N: Welcome to the madness! Okay off the bat, I want to say that yes Hinata is not an only child, but if you look around, who is Shikamaru really going to go to for brotherly advice? Inspired by **lovesrainscent's** interesting fic _Baby Boom_, specifically chapter 7.


End file.
